The Cleveland Cavaliers still have an open roster spot, which means there’s still a chance for a veteran to join a playoff contender. One of the biggest needs on the Cavaliers’ roster is finding another two-way forward capable of contributing on both ends of the floor. Yet, there’s one name who’s gone under the radar, until recently, and he’s now been linked to the Cavs in free agency.
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French star Guerschon Yabusele could join Cleveland Cavaliers
One of the heroes of France’s silver medal run in their matchup with Team USA was Guerschon Yabusele. Basketball diehards may remember him from his time with Boston Celtics from 2017-19. But now Yabusele plays for the respected European team Real Madrid.
- Guerschon Yabusele stats with France: 14 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 28.6% 3PT
Yabusele is already under contract, and he has a $2.5 million buyout fee if an NBA team is interested. This could scare most teams away. Especially since the NBA only allows a team to pay a maximum buyout fee of $850K, meaning the rest would have to come out of Yabusele’s pockets. However, that hasn’t prevented his name from being attached to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to Clutch Points’ Evan Dammarell, the Cavaliers could be a “serious option” for Yabusele.
“A team that could be a serious option for Yabusele is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who just named Kenny Atkinson as the team’s next head coach. Atkinson was an assistant on France’s basketball team, helping scheme their offense to a silver medal finish. Sources have shared with ClutchPoints that since the Cavs typically carry 14 players, they will consult Atkinson on adding a player he’s familiar with before Cleveland’s training camp.”
Evan Dammarell on Guerschon Yabusele
Yabusele, otherwise known as the “Dancing Bear” only played 74 games in his NBA career with the Celtics after becoming the 16th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. In that time, he averaged just 6.6 MPG, but after his strong showing in France. Not only is he ready to return to the NBA, but Yabusele could be seen as a player with a chance to be a regular in Atkinson’s rotation.
Related: Victor Wembanyama issues strong statement after France’s Olympic basketball run